Sydney Roosters team-mates were stunned to learn that skipper Anthony Minichiello's three try effort in the club's record 56-4 rout of Parramatta was the first hat-trick of his illustrious 15-year career.

Minichiello has won the Golden Boot award as the world's best player in 2005, played in two premiership-winning Roosters sides and represented NSW and Australia at wing and fullback, but until Saturday night he had never scored a hat-trick amongst his previous 122 try haul.

"He has done it all and now he has got a hat-trick so he is still going strong and he is such a good leader for us," halfback Mitchell Pearce said.

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Coach Trent Robinson was also surprised to learn of the statistic.

"I think a feature of the play tonight was the support play and Mini turned up on the wing and also in the middle of the play, and there were a few times where he got pulled down near the line," Robinson said.

Minichiello, who posted his 501st point for the Roosters with his 125th club try in the 64th minute, was overjoyed with the haul.

"It took me a while didn't it. Fifteen years - so it is nice, we got the support play going and I got some nice balls there," Minichiello said.

After crashing 28-8 to South Sydney in last week's season opener, the Roosters responded in style to post 10 tries as they recorded the biggest win in the club's history against Parramatta.

"The guys were hurting from last week and it was a good response," Robinsons said.

"Just the start of the game showed we were a bit clearer about the smaller things in the game that really count. We worked hard for the things we got earlier which laid the platform for what we saw later in the first half and then in the second half."

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